1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an end plating machine for a wood tie and more particularly to a machine for end plating a wood tie wherein the opposite ends of the tie are simultaneously end plated in an automatic fashion without the need of the end plates being initially hand-tacked onto the ends of the tie. More particularly, this invention relates to an improvement of the end plating machine disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,927,586.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cross ties and switch ties for use in the railroad industry are normally formed from green wood and frequently develop splits in the ends thereof during the seasoning process. It has been found desirable and necessary to close the splits or cracks in the ends of the tie and to maintain the same in that condition by means of nail plates, dowels, S-irons, etc., to extend the useful life of the tie. Many prior art devices have been provided for squeezing or clamping the ends of a tie together and then driving a nail plate or end plate into the ends thereof. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,513,900 and 4,657,168. In the prior art plating machines identified hereinbefore, the ties are fed into the end plating machine with the end plates being initially partially hand-tacked onto the ends of the tie to maintain the end plates in position until the ends of the tie have been squeezed or clamped and the power ram has driven the end plates into the ends of the tie. The requirement that the end plates be initially partially hand-tacked onto the ends of the tie adds additional time and labor to the end plating process.
Applicant has previously received U.S. Pat. No. 5,927,586 which issued on Jul. 27, 1999, entitled xe2x80x9cWOOD TIE END PLATING MACHINExe2x80x9d. The end plating machine of the ""586 patent includes a pair of spaced-apart end frames with the end frames including clamping means and power rams. A pair of end plate hoppers or stations are provided on each of the end frames with the machine having the ability to automatically end plate ties having different dimensions. The end plates are arranged in the end plate stations in a vertically stacked condition with the machine being able to transfer end plates from the hoppers, or stations, to the ends of the tie through a plate transporter assembly positioned in each of the end frames. Applicant also received U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,006,976 and 6,024,270 which are divisions of U.S. Pat. No. 5,927,586. Although the end plating machine of the ""586 patent works extremely well and has met with commercial success, the instant invention represents an improvement over the ""586 end plating machine in that the present invention is faster and more precise than the machine of the ""586 patent and requires less moving parts. Further, the instant invention enables the end plating of three different dimensioned ties with two different dimensioned end plates.
An end plating machine for a wood tie comprising a frame including horizontally spaced-apart first and second end frames with the frame having tie in-feed and out-feed portions. A first tie damper or squeezer is provided adjacent one of the end frames for clamping or squeezing one end of the tie positioned between the end frames. A second tie damper or squeezer is positioned adjacent the second end frame for clamping or squeezing the other end of the tie positioned between the end frames. A first power ram is mounted on the first end frame for driving an end plate into one end of the tie while the first tie damper is clamping the end of the tie positioned therein. A second power ram is mounted on the second end frame for driving an end plate into the other end of the tie while the second tie damper is clamping the other end of the tie positioned therein. First and second end plate hoppers or stations are mounted on the first end frame for supporting a plurality of end plates therein in a stacked condition. Third and fourth end plates hoppers or stations are mounted on the second end frame for supporting a plurality of end plates therein in a stacked condition. The end plates in the first and third end plate hoppers have the same dimension while the end plates in the second and fourth end plate hoppers have the same dimension with that dimension being different than the dimension of the end plates in the first and third end plate hoppers. First and second shuttle plate assemblies are movably mounted in the first and second end frames, respectively, with each of the assemblies including a magnetic shuttle plate which is selectively horizontally movable beneath the associated end plate hoppers for receiving an end plate thereon from one of the hoppers positioned thereabove. The magnetic shuttle plates may be pivotally moved from a horizontally disposed position to a vertically disposed position. Further, when the magnetic shuttle plates are in their vertically disposed condition, means is provided for horizontally moving the vertically disposed magnetic shuttle plate a small amount.
A plate transporter assembly is movably mounted in each of the end frames for transporting an end plate positioned on the magnetic shuttle plate, when the magnetic shuttle plate is in its vertically disposed position, to a position adjacent the associated power ram so that the power ram may drive the end plate into the end of the tie.
It is therefore a principle object of the invention to provide an improved end plating machine for a wood tie.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved end plating machine for a wood tie which senses different sizes of ties and which automatically supplies properly dimensioned end plates to the power rams for insertion into the ends of the tie.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an end plating machine having an improved shuttle plate assembly.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an end plating machine for a wood tie including a pair of shuttle plate assemblies which are more precise and faster than prior art machines and which require less moving parts.
These and other objects will be obvious to those skilled in the art.